New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
The Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a, built in the tradition of ancient Hawaiian wa‘a kaulua (double-hulled voyaging canoe), will visit the Port of New Bedford, July 5-8 as part of the Mālama Honua (“to care for our Earth”) Worldwide Voyage which began in 2013. Two Polynesian voyaging canoes, Hōkūle‘a and Hikianalia, are sailing across Earth’s oceans, 60,000 nautical miles to more than 100 ports and 27 nations, to join and grow the global movement toward a more sustainable world.
“The New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is excited to co-host the Hokule’a as they make this historical stop at the Port of New Bedford,” said Judy Roderiques of the National Park Service. “In the past, Hawaii and New Bedford were closely connected economically in the whaling era; today, the two communities are working to protect their historical, cultural and environmental resources.”
The vessel is scheduled to arrive in New Bedford Harbor just after noon on July 5, dependent on weather and safety, since Hōkūleʻa utilizes traditional, non-instrument (no GPS, sextants, or clocks) navigation and has no auxiliary engines. A traditional welcome ceremony is planned for the same day at 1:00pm-2:00pm at State Pier. Canoe tours and dockside activities will be open to the public free of charge at Coast Guard Park, check DestinationNewBedford.org for hours.
Track the Hōkūlea’s voyage in real time by visiting http://www.hokulea.com/track-the-voyage/.
